U.S. Department of Defense

At the first-ever U.N. Peacekeeping Defense Ministerial in London last night, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that the Defense Department will add to already substantial U.S. contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations.

The inaugural “Report on Enhancing Security and Stability in Afghanistan,” a report to Congress in accordance with Section 1225 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291), was provided to Congress yesterday evening. This report covers December 1, 2014 to May 31.

The NATO Allied Command Transformation Military Committee will meet here this week to solidify decisions that will ensure training and operations alignment for future effectiveness among its 28 partner nations, senior officials said in a press conference yesterday.

“The Northern Distribution Network, part of which flows through Russia, consists of five different options for how we move cargo in and out of Afghanistan,” Selva said. Transcom may have to look at alternatives to overflight or transit through Russia, he added.